The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-30
JOHANN MOST FOUND GBILTY
The Loud-Mouthed Anarchist Occupies
the Day in Giving His Testimony,
And the Jury, After DevOting Four Hours to
Consideration of the Case, Finds Him Gull
ty-A New Trial Immediately Asked.

was called to the witness-stand TO testify in his
own behalf. He denied thai he had threatened
the executioner of the Anarchists in Chicago, or
any one else. The meeting at Kraemer's Hail.
at which the alleged seditious speech was made,
was, he said, public Mr.. Schultze was
the chairman. and not Schneck, the police
testified: He addressed his hearers. hs said as
Fellow citizens" aud not Anarchists. He
then went on TO give his version of the speech he
made. II lacked the threats and violent Ian
yuage he is charged with having uttered. ION
the cry of revenge being uttered in the au-
dience," he went on, 81 said Not now. The
capitalists arrayed against Us. We are here
to accuse, and accuse Grinnell. Gary and the
Judges of the murder" He had described Pow
Derby as an instrument in the execution. by not
taking sides with the conden ned men He was
not sure that he said he would give ten years of
his life to know the hangman and that he would
strangle him. He had never said that for every
man killed in Chicago five hundred would be
slaughtered. Most said he q communistic
Anarchist. ''We dc not fight against any par
tieular government" said Most. I'VE do not
especially fight che government of the United
States; opposed to government as such,
We think that the power held by the govern
ment should be abolished"
Bombs and dynamiteP asked Mr.. NicolL
Yes; on both sides"
Your idea is TO conquer peacably il you can,
THAT is history. We believe force will be
necessary IN time"
Mr. Nicon asked Most as to his belief in Su-
preme Being. and Mr. Howe objected.
"Do you believe in the existence of Supreme
Being who Furnishes those who give false testi-
nony in courtl' was rep Gated by Mr.. Nicoll and
objected to by Mr.. Howe Overruled
Answer--I do not.
Mr. Howe tried to mend matters. He said
DO you believe in a great first causs!"
II say" said Most, las Socrates did, know
that We do not know"
On cIoss-examination Assistant District At
torney Nicoll questioned Most tho record of
his past life. The prisoner said that he had
been convicted of treason in Austria in 1869,
and had been imprisoned one year. In 1870 he
was again convicted in that country of the same
crime. and got five years sentence, but gained
his liberty in 1871 through amnesty granted
to political prisoners In 1872 he was sentenced
TO one years Imprisonment, in Berlin. for call
ing the Emperor of Germany ''slaughterer"
and 'smassacreer." In 1874 he sentenced
to Imprisonment for year six months
for speech made in Berlin on the memorial
day of the Paris Commune. In 1877 he was
fenced, in Berlin, to two months IMPRISONMENT
for blasphemy. In 1881 he sentenced, in
England. to eighteen months imprisonment for
applauding, In the Frehet the killing of the
Gar. When he got out OF prison there he came
to this country, aud has since remained here.
The witness admitted having written books
Free Society,"" Social Movements in Ancient
Rome" 'Bastile OF Plotzee." 1.-THE He'll Of
Black wells Island" and others.
A wrangle between the lawyers ensued, when
Most was asked whether he had written a book
the Art of Revolutionary Warfare or a
book on dynamite and other explosives. He re-
fused to answer, on the ground that the answer
would tend to crimnate him. He also declined
TO answer whether he believed that modern ex-
plosIves were necessary to carry out his ideas;
whether he had advised others as to the cheap
est manner of manufacturing explosives: whether
he had advised that electric battery be used
at distance to explode dynamite, but when
few moments can be had to get away fuse Of
six eight inches will serve; whether he had
eaid that for explosion in a crowd shell is
the best, and il should be globuiar TO produce
splendid results; whether he had said that gas
pipe with screw caps will produce brilliant
suits; whether he had advised that fruit jar be
filed with benzine in which medicine glass
filed with powder tightly closed and having
fuse be placed, and that on bursting the fiery
benzine would be scattered; whether he advised
the use of the deadly poison curare arrow
heads. The witness grew greatly excited when
these questions we're asked, and declined to
swer each, on the same ground. He said vehe-
mently, What have these to do with my speech
OF Kraemer's HALF"
But the judge, in each case, allowed the ques-
tons. The prosecution offered in evidence the
previous Indictment of Most, and the record of
the trial and conviction to show that the book
the 'Art of Revolutionary Warfare" was not in
troduced in evidence on Most's trial.
Mr.. Howe objected. saying IL had been intro
duced and excluded. Most said Recorder
Smylhe had bitterly referred to it, and had real
~ sentenced him on it.
This ended the evidence, and the arguments
of counsel followed at once, occupying two
hours Judge Cowing. in his charge, told the
jury Most was not to be tried for his past life,
nor for his belief, but for his speech at Krae-
mer's Hall. "Our love Of free speech and free
dom of the PRESS" he continued, ''has made
us do away with many restrictions. We
jealous of our liberty. Free speech does not
mean that an individual has the right to SANDER
his neighbor or to incite to riot. We do toll
crate license; we encourage freedom. We throw
open orr gates to all TO come in and enjoy citi-
yenship, which esteem q greater privilege
than to be king. We marvel that in this
country, where every is free. there should
IA m en- as and hat
do they want2 Revolutions have come from in
Justice but never from Justice"
After going over the testimony carefully. he
said he failed find anything in the speech of
Most, as he gave it at the trial, that came within
the statute. The jury went out at $50 o'clock.
The jury returned at 10 p. NJ. with a verdict of
guilty" The verdict created general SURPRISE
as the prevailing impression had been that the
evidence was insufficient The judges charge
WAS also con sidered to be in Mosts favor. It is
supposed that the jury influenced by
Mosts bad record as agtator and the fact of
his many previous convictions of similar
charges Mr. Howe moved for a new trial, and
argument on the motion will De heard next
Monday, Sentence was therefore deferred.
question of new trial is decided.
an ANARCHIST Who Was Loaded with Whisky.
CHICAGO, Nov. 90 Paul Wolf, the young man
arrested yesterday for threatening to blow up
States Attorney Grinnell with a bomb, was be-
fore Justice White to-day for preliminary
hearing. Officers German and Smiddy testified
10 hearing the speech made in a saloon, in which
a number of well-known revolutionists were
gathered Referring to the acquittal of police
Wood, who killed saloon-keeper, Wolf
exclaimed
eff we mad done as should have DONE the
night the jurors returned the verdict, We would
have gone in BODY and blown each Jurors
house and himself TO hell But wait awhile and
will be revenged. Yes. We will be revenged
and that pretty The man who does nor
carry a bomb in his pocket is at ALL and
inside of month or two we will blow up Grin
nell, and
At this point he was choked off and escorted
to the police station. Justice White fined him
$50 and put him under bonds to keep the peace.
Wolf claimed he drunk and did not know
what he was saying.
The Talk If q Recanf Innartatian